The Military In U.S. Culture
http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2013-01-14/military-us-culture
From yellow ribbon bumper stickers to congressional speechifying, public support of the U.S. military has reached levels not seen since World War II. Fewer Americans than ever serve in uniform, yet our culture is steeped in military-themed TV shows, movies and video games. Some argue that uncritical patriotic fervor complicates substantive discussion of everything from defense spending to the role of the military in foreign policy. We explore a growing military-civilian divide, and how it shapes our thinking about American power.
Guests
James Dao
Reporter, New York Times; Co-editor, "At War" Blog, NYTimes.com
Aaron O'Connell
Professor of History, US Naval Academy; Author, "Underdog: The Making of the Modern Marine Corp;" Lieutenant Colonel, Marine Corps Reserve
Comments
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I think that the perceived inability to cut defense spending is more a Washington circle belief than a general consensus of the nation. Do you also include the spending in departments like DOJ, ATF, DEA, ICE, FBI, in the totals for defense spending. I think Americans would be surprised at the amount spent on spreading our foreign and domestic policies through ancillary departments and agencies that classically be considered Defense spending.
I tried to listen to most of your very interesting show today. One topic, which may have come up and which I think has great bearing on the growing military-civilian divide, is the decision by President Nixon to abolish the draft and create an all-volunteer military. It has led to a more insular military and a larger civilian population that is not as engaged. Don't you think the civilian response to the invasion of Iraq would have been much more contentious if we still had the draft in place?